CCU holds Celebration of Inquiry April 11 to 16
The symposium will begin with an opening panel on globalization at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12, at Wheelwright Auditorium. Seven panelists will discuss how globalization affects our daily lives. The Celebration of Inquiry will also include more than 200 sessions by students, faculty, staff and community members. Six plenary presentations, multiple concerts, a small film festival on the Faces of Globalization, an art exhibition by senior students and many other events will take place during the conference as well.
This year, the keynote speaker is Ambassador Robert Barber, U.S. ambassador to Iceland, who will speak on April 12 at 7 p.m. in Wheelwright Auditorium. Barber was appointed ambassador to Iceland on Jan. 8, 2015. Prior to his assignment, he was a partner at Looney & Grossman LLP, a law firm in Boston, Massachusetts, where he focused primarily on issues of start-up, small and medium-size companies and commercial litigation, and served many of these companies in the role of outside general counsel.
Breakout sessions will take place throughout campus April 11-13. Additionally, it will feature the Songwriters of the Strand concert on April 13 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Wheelwright Auditorium.
Featured speakers include:
- Robert Young, CCU professor of marine science and this year's HTC Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Lecturer. He is the director of undergraduate research and has developed numerous marine and environmental education programs. Dolphin research is his specialty.
- John Delport, plenary speaker for education and human development, has worked as a teacher of students with emotional behavioral disabilities at the elementary and high school levels in comprehensive and day treatment programs.
- Joseph Fitsanakis, associate professor of politics and geography at CCU and plenary speaker for arts and humanities, has taught and written extensively on intelligence policy and practice, intelligence history, communications interception, cyberespionage, and transnational criminal networks.
- Ralph Kriechbaum, visiting professor at CCU and plenary speaker for business and economics, earned his bachelor's degree in theoretical engineering, a doctorate in biomechanics, and has worked as a CEO and general manager for German companies, leading international businesses abroad.
- Fredanna M'Cormack McGough, associate professor of public health at CCU and plenary speaker for science and technology, researches social injustices, tackling social inequalities and exploring socio-ecological factors that affect health care access and maternal health outcomes.
- Serena Parekh, associate professor of philosophy at Northeastern University and plenary speaker for society and gender, researches global justice, responsibility and statelessness. She is in the process of completing a manuscript concerning our moral obligations to refugees and the forcibly displaced.
- Jeff Sebo, assistant professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and plenary speaker for ethics and environment, works in bioethics, animal ethics and environmental ethics and serves on the board of directors at Animal Charity Evaluators, Minding Animals International and the executive committee at the Animals and Society Institute.
The Celebration of Inquiry first began at CCU in 1999 as a platform for members of the University community to share research, encourage creative thinking and showcase unique expression of ideas. Previous speakers include Joe Moglia, the head football coach of CCU, Bonnie St. John, author and paralympian, and Richard Lapchick, author and expert on sports and social issues.
Most classes will be redirected between April 12, at 12:05 p.m. and April 14 at 11:50 a.m. to ensure student participation.
For more information, contact Yoav Wachsman, director of international and special programs, at 843-349-2683 or yoav@coastal.edu. A full schedule and list of events with descriptions is available at coastal.edu/inquiry. Wheelwright Auditorium is located at 108 Spadoni Park Circle on the Conway campus.